Video:How to Interview an Applicant for an HR Assistant Position

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Transcript:How to Interview an Applicant for an HR Assistant Position

Hi! This is Meghan Lynn Allen for About.com, and today we'll share some tips on how to interview an applicant for an HR Assistant position.

Human Resource Assistants Must Be Responsible

An HR Assistant has a great deal of responsibility in the day to day operation of your human resources department. So interviewing them is a key to your company's success. Responsibilities may include staffing logistics, employee orientation, record keeping, maintaining the filing system, and in some cases, safety and healthy reporting. So it's important that you find a responsible person for this position.

Look for Experience Relevant to Human Resources

Ask specific questions about key experience. For example, ask the applicant how many applications they handled daily at their previous job, if handling applications will be a large part of their job when you hire them.Ask the applicant what they think an HR Assistant position will entail - what responsibilities, goals, guidelines they might have if they got the job. Ask about a specific experience in their past - how they dealt with a sensitive situation. What was the outcome? What did they learn from it? And what improvements did they make as a result?

Technical and People Skills are Necessary for HR Assistants

Make sure that he or she has the necessary technical experience as well. Record keeping and documentation is a huge part of a HR Assistant's job. Make sure they're familiar with any needed computer software that may be required to fulfill the technical responsibilities of this position.Ask the applicant specific questions about paying salaries and issuing benefits. Ask what policies they were familiar with at their previous job, and compare them to that of your company. Have an open discussion about any ideas they may have to make your company's policies more effective.

Ask the applicant about their customer support experience. They'll be interacting with people a great deal, and dealing with those employees tactfully and efficiently will be key .As with any job applicant, be sure to follow up with job references, and you may want future interviews, perhaps you want this applicant to come back if you like them and meet with more people, like the HR Manager or the employees they'll be working with.

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